Fall River police arrest two men on gun charges after altercation on Crescent Street

Monday

Jun 9, 2014 at 6:19 PMJun 9, 2014 at 6:22 PM

Brian Fraga Herald News Staff Reporter @BfragaHN

FALL RIVER — Police officers who responded to a late-night disturbance Sunday on Crescent Street confiscated a handgun and ammunition, and arrested two 18-year-old Fall River men on gun charges.

Melvin Cortez, 18, of 105 Pine St., and Brandon Razza, 18, of 74 Clark St., are scheduled to appear June 16 for a pretrial detention hearing in Fall River District Court. Both are charged with carrying a firearm without a license to carry, possession of ammunition without an FID card, disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct.

Just before midnight Sunday, Fall River police officers responded to a reported altercation on the 300 block of Crescent Street where a man — described by witnesses as a tall white man wearing white clothing — was said to have brandished a handgun in his pants waistband, Fall River police Lt. Kevin Tetrault said.

Several people were running away from the area when police officers arrived. Prosecutors said the officers found Cortez hiding in a backyard and Razza in a wooded area. Near where Cortez was found, police K-9s later located a backpack that contained a .38-caliber handgun and ammunition, Tetrault said.

During the defendants’ arraignment Monday in district court, defense attorneys noted that the police incident reports cited unnamed witnesses. One lawyer said Cortez did not match the suspect description and that there was no evidence to connect him to the firearm. A judge, finding no probable cause that Cortez committed a predicate offense, released him on personal recognizance.

Razza, whom witnesses identified as the alleged gunman, is being held without bail until next week’s dangerousness hearing.